Following continued success in securing new project and research work, OFR Consultants – the UK’s leading independent fire engineering consultancy – has promoted more than one third of its workforce in the past three months. Whilst Manchester-based fire engineer Ruoxi Shi has won the national SFPE (Society of Fire Protection Engineers) UK Chapter award for Up and Coming Fire Engineer 2020.
The 80-strong OFR team operates from UK offices in Manchester, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bath, Oxford and Leeds and with a turnover exceeding £8M. 22 of those colleagues have now been promoted; four of the promotions have led to eligibility to join the OFR share ownership scheme which continues the long term promises of the business to ensure that leadership and decision making comes from within the team.
Speaking about her national award win which recognised, amongst many things, her ‘commitment to becoming an advocate for the fire engineering profession by encouraging others to join the industry after university’, Ruoxi said: “I am thrilled to have been awarded the SFPE UK Chapter’s Up and Coming fire Engineer 2020 accolade – this is a huge testament to my dedication in promoting Fire Engineering as a career as well as promoting STEM careers for women like myself who are from an ethnical minority background.”
Some of the promoted colleagues joined OFR as graduates less than five years ago, and their outstanding technical contribution to the business has accelerated their part ownership of the business; director Sam Liptrott, explained: “Investing in and empowering our people is core to our success. We put a heavy financial and pastoral emphasis on giving everyone opportunities and I’m delighted that, even with the challenges of 2020, this has been upheld with the promotion of these inspiring 22 colleagues.
“Our long-term plan has, and always will be, to ensure that shared ownership is viable at all levels. Not just a profit share, but genuine ownership. We recognise contribution from all our team members – from established managers to graduates – and this fits our consistent message of being a technical delivery-focussed business.”
OFR Consultants was established just five years ago, has quickly developed into an internationally renowned fire engineering consultancy working on some of the most pioneering global projects – from the Google campus in London to the Rothera Research Station in Antarctica.
The recent promotions include three new design directors, one associate director, four principle fire engineers, six senior fire engineers, six fire engineers, one finance director and one people and process development co-ordinator.
Sam concluded: “Ruoxi’s outstanding award win and the promotions demonstrate our incredible growth as a business since we launched in 2015. To go from an initial team of just two to almost 80 people, shows not only the demand that is out there in the construction market for our specialist skills, but also how we have developed our reputation as the pre-eminent fire engineering consultancy through our work on some of the most exciting projects, both here in the UK and overseas.
“Our initial vision was to create a business whereby we continually invest in team talent and I am proud that we have consistently maintained our commitment to that by providing great career opportunities, continued support and training as well as the opportunity to own part of the business as it grows. I congratulate each and every one of our recent promotions and thank them personally for the tenacity and dedication they show on a daily basis.
“I look forward to announcing more progression within our superb team at OFR very soon.”
For more information about OFR, please visit OFR’s website at www.ofrconsultants.com
